Honky tonk and country singer Gary Stewart released plenty of albums for RCA. It was his mainstay for over a decade. While much of his material has been reissued in Europe and Japan on CD, other than compilations there have only been a few titles briefly issued -- and now deleted -- in the United States. Wounded Bird addresses the problem with the release of a stellar catalog album from 1980 and a best-of on a single disc -- which seems weird because there are also many great catalog titles that could have been paired with this, but oh well. Cactus and a Rose is a truly great Stewart album. Produced by Chips Moman, it featured studio contributions from Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Reggie Young, Bonnie Bramlett, Bobby Emmons, Gary Scruggs, and others. It’s a killer collection of tunes that reflects Stewart's honky tonk and the sound of smoother '70s Southern rock. His voice is one of the most soulful, atypical, and expressive ever heard in Nashville and that’s underscored here, especially on the ballads. And while his singles charted on the country charts throughout the early ‘70s, this set was his only album to make the Billboard pop charts, albeit at number 165. Every track is a winner, but the standouts include the opener, “Okeechobee Purple”; the title track ballad; and “Lover’s Knot,” written with Allman (who sings backup) and featuring stellar guitar work by Betts. “Harlan County Highway,” written with Betts, is another excellent cut, as is the wild honky tonk of “Roarin',” with Bramlett singing barrelhouse with Stewart like the house is on fire. Collector’s Series was issued immediately after he left RCA. It features 12 of his jukebox and country hits, including “Drinkin’ Thing,” “Out of Hand,” “She’s Actin' Single (And I’m Drinkin' Doubles),” “Little Junior,” “In Some Room Above the Street,” “Drinkin’ Again,” “Whiskey Trip,” “Flat Natural Born Good-Timin’ Man,” and “I See the Want to in Your Eyes” -- cult classics all. This is as good a place as any to start with Stewart, but listening to the CD in reverse halves might be a better way to approach his work for the newcomer.